Clutch.



W.l ANNABLE & L W. FITZGERALDl ULUTGH.

APPLIOATION IVILED JAN. 13, 1910.' A

1,050,757 v Patented Jan.14,r913. I

axle andthe wheel.

vide a carrier l' for the member and in l UNITE sierras PATENT OFFICE.'

WARREN W. ANNABLE AND JOHN W. FITZGERALD, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 13. 1910.

CLUTCH.

VPatented J an. 14, 1913. serial No. 537,906.

siding at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutches, of which the following a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. l

lhe invention has particular reference to a clutch mechanism'especially designed for use in connection with automobiles as forming an operative connection between the 'driving shaft or. axle and the, wheel, and it consists in the novel and simple construction of the clutch, in the. peculiar arrangement and combination of parts, and in various details of construction, as will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings,--l `igure l is a view in elevation of the clutch mechanism. with a. portion of the housing removed to illust rate. the interior parts; Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the clutch in a different position; and Fig. 3 is a section taken on line :v .e of Fig.

In the drawings thus briefly described, the reference-letter A represents a rotary member, in this instance the driving axle ot an automobile, and B a. 4vsprocket thereon by means of which power from thc motor is transmitted.

C is a wheel provided with a hub Vl),

loosely mounted upon the shaft and carrying a housing E within which the several parts of the clutch mechanism are situated. This housing is made up of complementary disk members a and an annular section c, the inner surface of which constitutes a trackway, and a hub section d.

Fixed upon the shaft A within thc. housing` described is an eccentric F, and positioned between the eccentric and the trackway c of the housing is a niovable member (i. in this instance a roller4oiE a size and so positioned as to be wedged between the periphery of the eccentric and the traclway upon the rotation of the eccentric in either direction. .Vhen so wedged, the parts are locked together, and an operative connec` tion is formed between the drivingshaft or Preferably, we pro- 5 between the drive I which said member is jo-urnaled for rotary movement the carrier encircling, shown, the eccentric and adapted to be supported thereby. "In construction, the carrier Comprises prefe ablv a single ring, and within openings formed in the ring is journaled the roller G referred to, and preferably supplemental rollers I and J, these latter being of less size than the roller G and serving prii'narily to form an antifriction bearing jbetwcen the carrier and the eccentric to permit of the proper positioning of. the

4wcdging roller.

From the 'foregoing description of'thc clutch mechanism. it will be obvious that as thc eccentric turnsl in one direction. for instance as indicated by the arrow in Fig. l. a locking engagement will be effected between the. parts and the wheel will be posi'- livcly driven in the direction of the eccentric. Upon reversingthc direction ot' movement ot' the eccentric, thc roller (l will be lirst released. and subsequently engaged b v the ccccntri at'ter the latter has made substantially one revolution and a reverso movement Qt thc vehicle wheel will be et'- 'lected It will also be apparent that the clutch will permit the driven member to travel at greater speed than the driving` member in thc same direction of travel, whether that bc forward or baclovard. This is especially serviceable where the clutch is used in connection with automobiles, as when the vehicle is turning corners it permits the outer wheel to run trec at. a speed exceeding that ot' the drive axle. the advantage oi which will be obvious. Utention is also directed to the fact that the roller (l otl the clutch. lmsidcs acting as the wedge member. serves b v reason ot its relativel).7 greater weight to imbalance the carrier, holding the same normally in a position with the wedge roll at the low point. Thus, vcntcd from cari-ving the ring with it. and

the establishing of an operative connect-ion and driven members is i always possible.

For the purpose ot' rcducing the tricti. .i

- lo a minimum, we have provided an anti- 'lfricticn bearing between the carrier and the casing walls. lVe have` here shown the bearing in the form of rollers K arranged within transverse recesses in the carrier the eccentric when revolving is pre- I ring, and pivoted thereto, the rollers being adapted to travel upon either' the disk a or 0,-acco1-ding to the position of the carrier. l

What we claim as our invention is,-

l. In combination with the driving axle of an automobile, of a wheel loosely mounted thereon carrying an inclosing casing, an eccentric fixed lupo-n the axle within the casing, a. carrier encircling the eccentric,

antifriction bearings between the arriert and casing, and a roller journaled in bearings upon the carrier adapted to be wedged between the eccentric and casing wall upon the rotation of the eccentric in either direction..

of an automobile oft' a wheel loosely mounted thereon carrying an inclosing casing provided with a traclnvay, an eccentric iixed upon the axle within the casing, an annular member eccentric to the tracliway, and a wedged between the eccentric and casing wall upon the rotation of the eccentric in either direction.

3. The combination with the driving axle of an automobile, of a. wheel loosely mounted thereon carrying an inclosing casing )rovided with a trackway, an eccentric hxed upon the axle and positioned within the casing', an annular member surrounding and supported by said eccentric, said member being arranged eccentric to the traclnvay,

\ and a roller carried by said annular meml her adapted to be wedged between the ecl centric and the. trackway of the fasing upon j rotation of the eccentric in either direction. Q. The combination with the driving axle l In testimony whereof we aiiix our signaturesl inliresence otl two witnesses.

roller carried by said member adapted to be IVARREN IV. ANNABLF. JOHN lV. FITZGERALD. Witnesses GEORGE lVALLnn,

SEYMOUR R. Bnnnnr. 

